When He came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

This is an interactive sermon. Question of the morning: can anyone name one of the teams that will play for the National Championship tomorrow night. (Florida and Ohio) Tomorrow we find out who will be the National Champions of College Basketball. Don’t we love our contests, Super Bowls, Olympics, Stanley Cups, and the World Series… We all have those teams we cheer for. Sometimes you see fans paint their faces, wave banners or those big number “We’re #1” foam rubber hands. Fans have their cheers and chants. Many just love to get carried away with all that is going on.

Today there is a parade of sorts; there are a bunch of fans that are rooting and declaring the feats of their hero- Jesus. He is their champion- their one man team. He has an amazing record. Many of the people are cheering on their hero but there are also those who are jeering against this Jesus.

He has done many amazing things but what most people don’t realize is that He hasn’t won His greatest contest yet. Many of the fans and fanatics along the parade route don’t understand what lies less than a week ahead but truly we often don’t either.

In our lesson from Matthew we hear that the followers of this Holy Man from Galilee cut palm branches from the trees near by. In honor of this miracle worker they waved the palms with wild acclamation and spread them on the road. Shouting, Hosanna, Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is He who comes in the name of Lord. Many took off their cloaks, we have some crazy fans, and laid them on the road that this One whom many believed would restore Israel to its former glory would have a highway befitting such a champion. “The Lord is coming, The Promised One is coming!!!!” These preparations and now celebrations ought to remind us of the words of John the Baptizer when he proclaimed: Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him. …All mankind will see God’s salvation. (Luke 3.4 & 6)

But what is our reaction today? How have we prepared our hands and hearts for the coming of the Promised One? I must confess sometimes I am so busy with the things of church, being a Martha of sorts – you remember Martha she was busy in the kitchen preparing a meal and was upset with her sister Mary who was intently listening to God - as I said sometimes I am too busy with things around church that I fail to really prepare my heart and hands to receive the One who comes bearing the name of God. But that is just me maybe you’re different from me…maybe not. Have we truly pondered His holiness and our need of it, the ease with which we sin and the cost to Him to earn our forgiveness… are we often too busy?

In our text we see that the people are streaming towards Jerusalem for one of the three major festivals of the year- this one is Passover. For these festivals people would make long pilgrimages. It was a great sight for them to see the Temple, one of the wonders of the world. “Look! It is there that God meets with His people.” This is where it all happens. There is where God makes Himself more known, turns up the volume on His presence. How many of the people failed to understand that God was already among them in a most unlikely fashion, wrapped in their human likeness taking on the very form of a servant. A few of them had an inkling but most missed it, missed the full meaning of Jesus, the man and His mission, but often so do we.

Luke says in verse 37 (in chapter 19) The whole crowd began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen. Jesus had been accredited to them and to all of us by signs, wonders, and miracles. (Jn 14.11 & Matt 11.4-6) All the miracles and His teachings were His credentials. Isaiah the prophet had said look for the One who make blind see, deaf hear, and lame to walk. Follow after Him.

Just like today did you know there were some unbelievers in the crowd? Those who sought to discredit the miracles saying, “He does them by the power of Beelzebub”; those who didn’t believe them because they hadn’t seen them themselves- “the reports of this street preacher are wildly exaggerated”; others who had heard the reports of the miracles but the realization that this just might be God among and for them failed to make a dent on their self-centered lives, and still others had heard the reports and at first greeted them with amazement but the wonderment wore off after a while and it was back to life as normal.

How often are we like them? Oh, we’ve heard the reports of the miracles but our wonder and amazement at them has dulled. We whisper, “That was then this is now- what difference does that make to me and for me today?” Others of us quietly ask, “Where’s my miracle?” “Come on Jesus walk across my swimming pool, heal my disease, stop those who are trying to overcome me, release me from my demons of this ever-demanding 21st century world.”

Sometimes we have our own agenda wanting Jesus to do this or that for us. How often do we fail to understand our greatest ongoing need was and still is to be continually rescued from sin and death? As for Jesus at work in our lives - He is there but we won’t understand all that He has done and is doing until we reach heaven- what we see dimly now we will one day see clearly when we are face to face with God.

We may not know all the “whys” and “hows” but Jesus knows “why” He is in this parade, “where” it really leads, and “how” it will end.

His first stop was the Temple courts where if you read Luke 19.45 and following, He drives out those who are buying and selling, those who had made His Father’s house a market place. The prophet Malachi had written then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to His temple; the messenger of the covenant whom you desire will come…But who can endure the day of His coming. Who can stand when He appears. (Mal 3.1-2) Here He now stands. He lays claim to this place. The hatred of the Pharisees burns wildly and they sought to arrest Him, but they could do little or nothing for the people are hanging on Jesus’ every word and teachings.

That same Jesus who came to them comes to us even today, His words pressed onto the pages of the Scripture- the God/man quietly, yet powerfully, speaking to us. In this world you will have trouble but take heart I have over come the world. (Jn 16.33)… Never will I leave you nor forsake you. (Deut 31.6) He comes to us in, with, and under the means of bread and wine- all that is Jesus taking hold us in a real yet sacramental manner, forgiving our sins and strengthening us and our faith declaring Himself to be with us in and through all manner of trial and tribulation. And surely I will be with you always to the very end of the age. (Matt 29.20) It is Jesus who powerfully connects the promises of God to the waters of baptism. He saved us through a washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit…so that having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3.5-8) He comes here even now offering real forgiveness to those who will confess their sins and seek His forgiveness. That forgiveness, our forgiveness, is the focal point of this parade into Jerusalem. It was and remains the pivotal point in the history of the world.

Jesus knew it. This Palm Sunday parade was just the beginning of another parade that would lead from the garden of Gethsemane where He would be arrested, to the house of the high priest and palace of Pilate. There He would be denied justice and condemned to die. From there He would take part in the ultimate parade: He would be led back out of the city and up to a place called Golgotha. Cheers had been replaced with jeers. In this parade our king would be crowned with thrones and carry a cross upon which all of our sins had been heaped. This parade led up on a hill where Jesus would lay down His life for our sins and the sins of the rest of mankind. By the out pouring of His blood He earned for us the forgiveness of all our rebellion and doubt and idolatry against God.

Afterwards there would be a minor procession down to the cemetery where He would be laid to rest….but the parade doesn’t end there, because three days later He rose up from the dead, a victorious and glorious victory over sin and death. His victory is a thousand times greater than any victory of any contest, match, Super Bowl or Olympics- for Jesus’ victory is a lasting victory and He freely shares the fruits of that victory with us.

His resurrection begins another parade of which we hear more about next week.

As for now, for the first days of this week, I encourage you to join the people in the temple area. We can do this when we read the teachings and discourses of Jesus recorded in Scripture. I encourage all us “Marthas” to put down the things of this world and read: Matthew 21-26, Mark11-14, Luke 20-22, and John 12-17. In doing so you will hear Jesus- listen as He shares the parable of the ten virgins, speaks about the end times and the withering of fig tree; pay attention for the voice of the Father who speaks from heaven regarding the mission of His Son; take note to plotting of hardhearted men against Jesus, and know it is real comfort when hard times come upon us and what Jesus offers to us. Come let’s go into the temple courts and listen.